Topsfield Town Common District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Topsfield Town Common District
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Topsfield Town Hall
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Topsfield, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 13.1 acres (5.3 ha) |
| Built | 1683 |
| NRHP reference No. | 03001488 |
| Added to NRHP | June 7, 1976 |
The Topsfield Town Common District is a special historic area in Topsfield, Massachusetts. It includes the old town common, which is like a central park, and many important buildings around it. This common has been the heart of the town for hundreds of years. It was a place for town meetings and religious gatherings. Today, you can see houses from the 1600s to the 1900s, the town hall, the library, and a church. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 because of its historical importance.
Exploring Topsfield's Historic Common
The Topsfield Town Common is not just one big open space. It's actually several triangle-shaped green areas. These greens are separated by five roads that spread out in different directions. It's a unique layout that has developed over many years.
Buildings Around the Common
Many interesting buildings surround the common. On the northern side, along Washington Street and North Common, you'll find houses mostly built in the early 1800s. These homes show how architecture changed over time.
The First Congregational Church stands on a triangular part of the common's western side. This church was built in 1842 in the Greek Revival style, which means it looks a bit like ancient Greek temples.
The town hall, built in 1873, has a Chateau style. This means it looks like a French castle! The public library, built in 1935, is in the Classical Revival style. These buildings are on the southwest and southern edges of the common.
On the eastern side, there's a large mansion from 1815. It was built for a local family called the Emersons. Today, this historic building is used as a preschool.
A Look Back at Topsfield's History
People started settling in the Topsfield area in the 1630s. These early colonists moved along the Ipswich River. By 1650, Topsfield officially became a town. Around that time, a training ground for the local militia was set up. A militia was a group of citizens who trained to protect their town.
The town's first meeting house was built in 1703. A meeting house was a very important building in colonial times. It was used for both church services and town meetings. The current First Congregational Church now stands where that first meeting house once was.
The oldest building in the district is the Parson Capen House. It was built in 1683 and is northeast of the common. This house is a National Historic Landmark. It's one of the best-preserved houses from that time period in the entire United States. Today, you can visit it as a historic house museum to learn about life long ago.
